1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method of advertising, and more specifically, to a method of advertising on motor vehicles.
2. Description of Related Art
Providing advertisement on motor vehicles is well known in the art and various advertising methods have become known for this purpose. For instance, a motor vehicle may be provided with advertisement or logo on the vehicle""s body such as the door or fender. These advertisements or logos may be painted on the vehicle""s body or otherwise affixed, for example, by magnets or using decals with adhesives. These types of advertising methods have been extensively used in the art, especially in the field of motorsport where various motorsport vehicles race in a race track for prizes and recognition.
In these applications, the motorsport vehicles are typically provided with numerous advertisements on the body of the motorsport vehicle identifying the various sponsors of the motorsport vehicle as well as identifying the vehicle itself. For instance, the rooftop of the vehicle may be provided with an advertisement such as an identifying marker or number which clearly distinguishes one vehicle from one or more of the other vehicles that may be present on the race track and competing in the race. The remainder of the vehicle body including the hood, fenders, the doors, and the trunk may be provided with numerous advertisements of corporate sponsors and the like that have paid the motorsport vehicle""s owner and/or operator for such rights to advertise and to be associated with the motorsport vehicle. Advertisements were also occasionally included in narrow bands that cover the outer peripheries of the front and rear windshields as well as the side windows (if such windows are provided). However, because maintaining visibility through the windows is important in not impeding the operation of the motorsport vehicle, such advertisement provided on the windows is severely limited.
Due to the fixed amount of surface area available on a motor vehicle""s body, the advertising is often very small while the cost for placing such advertisement is very high, especially for vehicles which win races frequently. In exchange, however, the sponsors who purchase such space on the motorsport vehicles are provided with a very large spectator audience and media coverage that may continually view their advertisements as the motorsport vehicle is raced on the race track. Thus, although expensive, such advertising on the motorsport vehicle body by the sponsors provide direct and indirect benefits to the sponsors in increased sales of their products/services and improve goodwill toward the advertiser. Of course, the owner and/or operator of the motorsport vehicle would like to charge the highest amount possible for such advertising space on the motor vehicle body to maximize the revenue generated by such advertisements. Whereas the revenue which can be generated may technically only be limited by the surface area available on the vehicle""s body, a more pragmatic limit exists. More specifically, if too many advertising is provided on a vehicle, the large number of advertising on the motor vehicle""s body cause observers to ignore the advertisements thereby reducing advertisement""s efficacy.
In view of the above, there exists an unfulfilled need for a novel method of advertising which will maximize the space available on the motor vehicle for displaying advertisements. There also exists an unfulfilled need for such an advertising method that will increase advertising opportunities for advertisers as well as maximizing the advertising revenues for the motor vehicle owner/operator. There further exists an unfulfilled need for a novel method of advertising that will increase advertising efficacy.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method of advertising on a motor vehicle where the surface area available for such advertisements is maximized.
A second object of the present invention is to increase opportunities for advertisers to place advertisements on a motor vehicle.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a novel method of advertising on a motor vehicle which will maximize advertising revenue for the motor vehicle owner and/or operator.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel method of advertising that will increase advertising efficacy.
In accordance with the various embodiments of the present invention, these and other objects and advantages are obtained by a method of advertising on a motor vehicle having at least one substantially transparent window comprising the steps of providing a holographic film with a holographic image therein, and adhering the holographic film to the substantially transparent window, where the holographic film and the holographic image are substantially transparent to an operator of the motor vehicle from within the motor vehicle so that operation of the motor vehicle is not impeded, but the holographic image in the holographic film is visible to an observer outside the motor vehicle. In accordance with one embodiment, the substantially transparent window may be a front windshield, a rear windshield, or a side window, but in one embodiment, is preferably a front windshield. The substantially transparent window may be made from glass, plastic, thermoplastic, Plexiglas(copyright), or a polycarbonate such as Lexan(copyright).
In accordance with another embodiment, the present method may also include the steps of applying an adhesive to the holographic film and/or the substantially transparent window before adhering the holographic film to the window, the adhesive being substantially transparent when set. In another preferred embodiment, the holographic image may be a product name, a corporate name and/or a corporate logo. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention the holographic image may be three dimensional. In still another embodiment, the holographic film may include a plurality of holographic images therein, each of the plurality of holographic images being viewable at different viewing angles, and in such an embodiment, the plurality of holographic images may provide a continuous message. In yet another embodiment, at least one light source may be provided on the motorsport vehicle to illuminate the holographic image to enhance visibility of the holographic image in the holographic film.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the motor vehicle may be a motorsport vehicle that is adapted to be raced in a race track with at least one other motorsport vehicle. In such an embodiment, the holographic image may be a numeral that advertises the motorsport vehicle operator and identifies the motorsport vehicle thereby distinguishing the motorsport vehicle from the other motorsport vehicle. In the preferred embodiment, the holographic image may be a sponsor advertisement that includes a product name, a corporate name and/or a corporate logo. As previously noted, the holographic image may be three dimensional and may also include a plurality of holographic images therein that may provide a continuous message.
In addition, in such an embodiment, the present method may further comprise the steps of illuminating the holographic image by providing a light source at a predetermined position to enhance visibility of the holographic image in the holographic film to the observer outside the motorsport vehicle. In this regard, a plurality of light sources may be positioned along the race track to illuminate the holographic image to enhance visibility of the holographic image in the holographic film to a plurality of observers along the race track. In still another embodiment, the light source may be provided on the motor vehicle itself.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.